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MAYOR’S NEIGHBORHOOD ROUNDTABLE SUMMARY

January 13, 2020

Tracy Corr opened the meeting on Monday, January 13, at 5:30 p.m. in the Mayor's Conference Room,

City/County Building, Lincoln, NE.

Attendance

Nineteen residents and six City staff attended:

Tracy Corr – 40th & A NA

Paula Baker – Everett NA

Sue Burkey – Hartley NA

Andy Gueck – Indian Village NA

Pat Bracken – Irvingdale NA

Andrea Gebhart – Northern Lights HOA

Mike DeKalb – University Place CO

Fred Freytag – Witherbee NA

Söndra Washington – City Council

Barb Baier – Lincoln Public Schools

Jon Carlson – Mayor’s Office

Rachel Jones – Planning Dept

Jennifer Powell – Country Club NA

George Baker – Everett NA

Myrna Coleman – Highlands NA

Geri Cotter – Irvingdale NA

Dennis Hecht – Meadowlane Area RA

Russ Meyer – Taylor Park NA

Bill Vocasek – West A NA

Randy Smith – Woods Park NA

Tammy Ward – City Council

Sarah Mason – Keep Lincoln-Lanc. Co. Beautiful

David Cary – Planning Dept

Wynn Hjermstad – Urban Development Dept

Mayor Gaylor Baird

Welcome & Introductions

Tracy Corr welcomed everyone and asked for introductions. Jon Carlson volunteered to take notes.

Mayor Gaylor Baird Comments

Mayor thanked neighborhood leaders for helping push out the City Satisfaction survey. It’s an important tool for

improving city programs and services and also important as input when beginning to form the upcoming budget.

Mayor also encouraged people to spread the word to help increase participation in the census.

Short-Term Rentals

David Cary, Director, Lincoln/Lancaster County Planning Department, 402-441-6364, dcary@lincoln.ne.gov

David Cary gave an overview of the discussion draft of new regulations for Short Term Rentals (STR). See

Attachments 1 & 2. Short term rentals (sometimes referred to by their operating platforms like Air BnB,

VRBO, etc.) are the rental of all or a portion of a residential dwelling for no more than 30 days. Proposed

regulations would apply to City of Lincoln and 3 mile extraterritorial jurisdiction. Two open houses are

scheduled, both at 5:00-6:30 pm with a presentation at 5:30pm. The dates and locations are January 21st at

Culler Middle School (5201 Vine Street) and January 29th at Cavett Elementary (7701 S. 36th Street). More

information is available on the city website at lincoln.ne.gov, keyword “short term rental”

Attendees expressed concerns about hotel-like activities disrupting neighborhoods. Cary said enforcement by

Building & Safety would typically be on a complaint basis. There are also companies like Host Compliance that

contract out to license and regulate STR’s. Roundtable members liked the requirement of primary residency

because that addressed their worries that investors could otherwise buy up available affordable housing. Also,

primary residency encourages better oversight and care.

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Lincoln Public Schools – School Bond Issue

Barbara Baier, Member, Lincoln Board of Education: 402-202-1846, bbaier@lps.org; and

Dr. John Neal, Assistant Superintendent of Governmental Relations & General Administration, Lincoln Public

Schools: 402-436-1608, jpneal@lps.org.

John Neal and Barb Baier spoke about the upcoming LPS school bond mail-in election. See Attachment 3.

Ballots will be mailed to voters between January 20th and January 31st. The Mail-in ballot must be returned in

the mail by Friday, February 7, to make the Election Commission’s 5:00 pm deadline on Tuesday, February 11.

The new bond is for $290 million to be used for new schools and renovations of existing schools. If voters

approve, the new bonds will replace existing bonds that are being paid off. So there will be no change in the tax

rate due to the new bonds. More information is available at lps.org/2020bond.

Announcements

The 2020 Neighborhood Forum will be January 25, 2020, from 9:00 am to Noon, 2640 R Street, the

Sower Church, also known as Candlewood Church. For more information, visit: https://nwlincoln.org/.

Register at: https://www.neighborhoodforum4.eventbrite.com. For additional information, please contact

Pat Anderson-Sifuentez at pat.anderson@nwlincoln.org or 402-477-7181, ext. 106.

2050 Comprehensive Plan Kickoff will be on Thursday, February 6th, from 5:00 pm -7:00 pm at the

Pinnacle Bank Arena, 400 Pinnacle Arena Drive. Presentation at 5:30pm.

Next Meeting/Agenda

Next meeting will be February 10th. Topics will be Spring clean ups and the 2020 US Census.

Adjournment

The meeting adjourned at approximately 6:30 p.m.

Respectfully submitted, Jon Carlson

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What would the zoning requirements be?

It is proposed to allow STRs in residential zoning districts and a number of commercial and industrial

districts, most of which allow hotels. Thus, the use of a dwelling for an STR would be allowed in the

R-1 through R-8, O-1, O-3, B-1, B-2, B-3, B-4, B-5, H-1, H-2, H-3, H-4, I-1, I-2 and I-3 districts under

the following conditions:

A short-term rental (STR) is the temporary

rental of residential rooms or homes. The type of

rental can vary from a whole house, apartment,

or room(s) within a dwelling.

City of Lincoln regulations do not directly address

STRs. Previously, they were considered a hotel

use in commercial zoning districts and allowed as

a home occupation in residential districts.

In March 2019, the Nebraska Legislature passed Legislative Bill 57 (LB57), which limited the

regulations that municipalities can impose on STRs while allowing typical zoning and building code

issues to be addressed.

The City of Lincoln needs to update its Municipal Code to better address LB57 by establishing

licensing and life safety standards for STRs. The following proposal was created for discussion

and comment by the public. Public hearings on the changes are anticipated to take place during

early 2020.

Image © 2019 Google

Short-Term Rentals

Discussion Draft for Proposed Regulations

Licensing The operator (host) must obtain a license from the

Building & Safety Department.

Residency The short-term rental must be the operator’s primary

residence.

Accessory An accessory dwelling unit could be used as a

Dwellings short-term rental if the above conditions are met.

Regulations would apply within the City of Lincoln and its 3-mile extraterritorial zoning jurisdiction.

Attachment 1

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How would Short-Term Rentals be defined?

“The rental of all or a portion of a residential dwelling for accommodations by the person or

persons maintaining the dwelling as their primary residence for a length of stay per guest

visit of no more than 30 consecutive days. Short-Term Rental does not include rental of a

dwelling unit for meetings including but not limited to luncheons, banquets, parties,

weddings, fund raisers, or other similar gatherings for direct or indirect compensation.”

The table below describes several possible use scenarios and whether they would be allowed under

the proposed rules.

Allowance Scenario Conditions

Allowed Rental of bedroom(s)

within a house or

apartment.

Allowed Rental of an entire house

or apartment.

Allowed Rental of an accessory

dwelling such as a mother

-in-law suite or detached

accessory dwelling unit.

Prohibited Rental of a house or other

dwelling for use as a party

space and not for lodging.

Not allowed. This use would be considered a

commercial event space rather than

accommodations.

Allowed as long as the house or apartment is the

operator’s primary residence, a license is obtained,

and the lease (if applicable) allows the rental. The

maximum rental period per guest stay is 30 days.

No limit on frequency of rentals or total days rented

per year.

Allowed as long as the house or apartment is the

operator’s primary residence, a license is obtained,

and the lease (if applicable) allows the rental. The

dwelling can be rented for a maximum of 30 days

per guest stay. No limit on frequency of rentals or

total days rented per year.

Allowed as long as the accessory dwelling is the

operator’s primary residence, and the lease (if

applicable) allows the rental. The accessory

dwelling can be rented for a maximum of 30 days

per guest stay. No limit on frequency of rentals or

total days rented per year.

Page 3

How would Short-Term Rentals be licensed?

All STR operators would be required to obtain a license from the Building & Safety

Department for each dwelling being rented. The license could be revoked in the event of

multiple City violations cited against the operator, such as noise violations.

License Cost and Renewal

The license application fee is anticipated to range from approximately $150 to $300. The

actual fee will be determined based upon the cost of staff resources. There would be an

annual license renewal required to ensure the information stays current and re-affirm that life

safety standards are met.

Life Safety Requirements

To obtain a license, the operator must affirm that the dwelling meets the basic life safety

requirements listed below. Several of the requirements are taken from current building and

maintenance codes.

� Smoke alarms are present and operational in all rooms intended for sleeping

purposes, immediately outside of each sleeping area, and in each story within a

dwelling, including basements and cellars, and in common areas outside of

bedrooms and on each level of a building.

� Carbon monoxide detectors are present and operational on each level of buildings

with fuel burning appliances and in attached garages.

� All areas used for sleeping purposes have two means of egress in working order

unless an approved sprinkler systems is installed.

� The building’s street address numbers are plainly visible from the street and

maintained as such.

� All furnished appliances, finishes, windows, doors, handrails, guardrails, plumbing

drains and fixtures, HVAC/mechanical systems, and electrical systems are

maintained in good working order.

� The property will not be leased to more than two persons per bedroom / sleeping

area.

� Prior to a Short-Term Rental occurring, the licensee will inform the renter(s) which

areas are permitted to be used for bedrooms / sleeping areas.

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Demonstrating Primary Residency

The STR operator must demonstrate that the dwelling they want to rent out is their primary residence.

A person can only have one primary residence at a time. The primary residence would be defined as

the place where the applicant resides for at least 6 months out of a 12 month period.

Applicants will be required to submit at least two (2)

forms of proof of address from the following list as

part of the licensing process:

• Motor vehicle registration

• Government-issued identification

• Voter registration

• Tax documents

• Utility bill

How would the Hotel Occupation Tax apply to Short-Term Rentals?

The Hotel Occupation Tax would be collected by the City on each STR listing at the rate of 4% of

gross revenue. To clarify this requirement, Section 3.28 of the Lincoln Municipal Code would be

revised to address STRs. It will be the operator’s responsibility to track and pay this tax. An

informational handout will be made available to assist operators with calculating and paying the tax.

In addition to the locally imposed Hotel Occupation Tax, the State of Nebraska collects sales and

lodging tax on STRs through the hosting platforms such as Airbnb.

Questions or comments?

For more information or to submit a comment, visit the web site at

https://www.lincoln.ne.gov/city/plan/dev/shortterm/shortterm.htm

Questions can be directed to Rachel Jones, (402) 441-7603 or

rjones@lincoln.ne.gov.

Lincoln-Lancaster County Planning Department

555 S. 10th Street, Suite 213

Lincoln, NE 68508

Phone: (402) 441-7491

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1/22/2020

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SHORT‐TERM RENTALSMayor’s Neighborhood Roundtable

January 13, 2020

What is a short‐term rental? (STR)

• Temporary rental of residentialrooms or homes.  Includes rentalof a whole house, apartment, orroom(s) within a dwelling.

• Common platforms are Airbnb,VRBO and HomeAway.

Attachment 2

1/22/2020

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Residence –A residential use lasting more than 30 days.

Hotel –A commercial use typically renting for 30 days or less.

STR –A residential use lasting 30 days or less.  It falls somewhere between a Residence and a Hotel. 

How does the City allow STRs today?

•STRs are not directly addressed in the City Code.

• However, they have been allowed as a home occupation in Residential zoning districts and considered a hotel in Commercial and Industrial zoning districts.

1/22/2020

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Legislative Bill (LB) 57

• Approved March 2019 by the Nebraska Legislature.  

• Prevents municipalities from banning STRs.  

• Allows regulation of issues such as zoning, fire and building codes, and noise. 

• City ceased enforcement when LB57 was enacted until a new ordinance is adopted.

What changes are being considered?

• The City of Lincoln needs to update its Municipal Code to better address LB57 by establishing licensing and life safety standards for STRs. 

• Comments will be considered and incorporated into a finalized proposal with hearings at Planning Commission and City Council.  

• A Discussion Draft describing one way to regulate STRs was created to start the community discussion.

1/22/2020

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Discussion Draft

Zoning

Licensing

Taxes

Discussion Draft 

Definition:

“The rental of all or a portion of a residential dwelling for accommodations by the person or persons maintaining the dwelling as their primary residence for a length of stay per guest visit of no more than 30 consecutive days. Short‐Term Rental does not include rental of a dwelling unit for meetings including but not limited to luncheons, banquets, parties, weddings, fund raisers, or other similar gatherings for direct or indirect compensation.”

1/22/2020

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Discussion Draft 

Allow STRs in residential zoning districts and most commercial and industrial districts (R‐1 through R‐8, O‐1, O‐3, B‐1, B‐2, B‐3, B‐4, B‐5, H‐1, H‐2, H‐3, H‐4, I‐1, I‐2 and I‐3).

Conditions:

1) The operator (host) must obtain a license.

2) The STR must be the operator’s primary residence.

3) An accessory dwelling unit could be used if the above conditions are met.

A reminder of our land use categories:

Residence –A residential use lasting more than 30 days.

Hotel –A commercial use typically renting for 30 days or less.

STR –A residential use lasting 30 days or less.  

Discussion Draft 

1/22/2020

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Why Primary Residency?

• Distinguishes an STR from a Hotel, which would not normally be allowed or desired in neighborhoods.

• There may also be implications for increased concern for neighbor impacts and property maintenance.

Discussion Draft 

Discussion Draft 

Scenario Allowed?

Rental of bedroom(s) within a dwelling. Yes

Rental of an entire house or apartment. Yes

Rental of an accessory dwelling unit. Yes

Rental of a dwelling for use as a party space. No – considered a commercial event space.

1/22/2020

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Discussion Draft 

• All operators would be required to obtain a license from the Building & Safety Department for each dwelling being rented. 

• License could be revoked in the event of multiple City violations.

• License application fee and annual renewal.

Discussion Draft 

• The operator must affirm that the dwelling meets the basic life safety requirements such as:

– Smoke alarms

– Carbon monoxide detectors

– Egress for sleeping areas

– Electrical, HVAC, appliances, doors and windows, etc. in working order

– Visible street address numbers

– Max. 2 persons per bedroom/sleeping area

– Inform renters which areas are permitted to be used for bedrooms/sleeping areas

1/22/2020

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Discussion Draft 

Primary Residency

• The STR must be the operator’s primary residence.

• One primary residence at a time; the place where the applicant resides for at least 6 months out of a 12 month period.

• Applicants must submit at least 2 forms of proof of address (government‐issued ID, voter registration, utility bill, etc.)

Discussion Draft 

Several types of taxes could apply:  

• Hotel Occupation Tax ‐ locally imposed tax collected by the City of Lincoln. An amendment to Title 3 of the LMC would revise the definition of “Hotel” to include STRs.  If approved, Hotel Occupation Tax would be imposed on each STR listing at the rate of 4%, regardless of the number of bedrooms rented.  

• In addition, the State of NE collects state and county lodging tax and local sales tax.  Many larger hosting platforms already collect these taxes. 

1/22/2020

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Open Houses

• January 21, 2020 at Culler Middle School

• January 29, 2020 at Cavett Elementary School

From 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm.  A presentation by City staff will begin at 5:30 pm.  

Website (keyword: short term rental)

• View the Discussion Draft

• Open House dates & times

• Submit comments via aquestionnaire

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Key topics for discussion:

• How best should STRs be allowed in residential areas?

• Should the owner/resident be present during the rental stay? 

• Should the rental be the operator’s primary residence?

o 6‐month minimum for being considered a “primary resident”.

Attachment 3